Thousands fleeing Burma into Thailand
Myanmar’s ethnic Karen rebels urged the international community to pressurize the ruling junta into talks. Government soldiers having battling Karen National Union (KNU) guerilla’s in eastern regions of Myanmar for decades but the latest exodus into neighbouring Thailand is one of the biggest for or years.
Meanwhile Burma still faces pressure to halt Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial. The pro democratic leader has been charged with breaching the terms of her house arrest which could leave her in jail for up to 5 years.
The Burma offensive is aimed at several camps of Karen National Army (KNA), which has been waging the world’s longest civil war, fighting for autonomy for the Karen people since the Japanese occupancy of Burma during 1940’s. The largest exodus has been one of the biggest since 1997, according to the Karen Human Rights group. People numbering around 100,000 Karen refugees already live in Thailand, while another half a million are displaced inside Burma.
The latest flood of villagers came as Burmese forces moved in on rebel fighters from the Karen National Union. Burma has been increasing pressure on Karen’s rebels to end decades of fighting ahead of next year’s controversial Burmese elections.
Thailand has been acting as a go-between for the Burmese authorities and the KNU to try to end the fighting, but with little success.